Method of laying cloth.



PATE-NTSB JULY 1l, 1905.

A. O. MORSE.

METHOD OP LAYING CLOTH.

APPLIUA-TION FILED SEPT. 8, 1903.

NTTED STATES Patented July 11, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE. l

ALBERT O. MORSE, OE CHESTER, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES E. POLLARD, OF CHESTER, VERMONT.

METHOD QF LAYING CLOTH SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,307, dated July 11, 1905.

Application filed September 8, 1903. Serial No. 172,327.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, ALBERT O. MORSE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chester, county of Windsor, State oi Vermont, have invented an Improvement in Methods of Laying Cloth, oi' which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,A

like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

ln the manufacture of certain garments in quantity from woven fabrics the material is laid out upon a long table in as many'superposed plies as can be held at once and the pattern is laid upon the uppermost ply. The operative then follows the pattern with a suitable cutting instrument and a considerable number of garments are simultaneously cut. When such garments are made of faced goods-i. e., fabric having a right and a wrong side-the cloth must be laid in pairs of plies in such manner that the faces of the plies shall be opposed; and my present invention has for its object the production of a method oi laying cloth or like web material in superposed layers or plies in an eXpedi tious and elicient manner, whereby the same side of the clot'h may be opposed in each ply.

The present invention is equallyadapted to lay cloth or like web material whether in the form of rolls or plicated bolts, and the cloth of whatever character may by the pressent invention be laid in superposed layers or plies.

The various novel 'features of my invention will be fully described in the subjoined speciiication, and particularly pointed out in the following claim.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 1 1, Fig. 2, of one form of apparatus -for conveniently practicing my invention, the apparatus being shown in position ready to begin laying the cloth. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the apparatus shown in Eig. 1 on the line 2 2. Fig. 3 is a partly-diagrammatic view of the apparatus and showing the position of the parts when a single run of cloth or web-like material has been laid and just about to begin the completion of the run. Fig. 4 is a similar view, but the double run oi' one web having been completed and a single run of' the other web with the parts in position to complete the double run of such second web.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A represents a table oi any suitable length and width, suitably mounted on supports (not shown) and on which the cloth to be cut is laid. ln actual practice the table may be forty feet long or even longer and of such a width as will take in the full width of the goods to be cut.

l have herein shown (sec particularly Fig. 2) a track comprising two rails t, located parallel to the vsides of the support or table A, and mounted on stringers a, set out from the sides of the support and secured to brackets a. Upon the track thus provided a carrier C is adapted to travel from one to the other end of the tables, the carrier being herein shown as an open-ended box-like structure consisting of upright sides c c, rigidly connected by a ilat bottom 0X, the side c being rigidly secured to a longitudinal member c2 of a laterally-adjustable frame. Said frame comprises the longitudinal and parallel side members c2 c3, each having depending hang-v ers, as 5, provided with suitable wheels 6 to travel upon the track-rails t. The side members c2 c3 are connected by two series of crossbars C20 c3", the former being rigidly secured to the member c2 and the latter to the member c3 and overlapping and connected by clamp-bolts 10, extended through slots 12 in the cross-bars. Byloosening the clainjybolts the side member c3 can be moved toward or away from the opposite member c2 to adjust the carrier on the track, it being understood that tables of di'l'lferent widths are used. When the carrier is adjusted, the clamp-bolts 10 are set up, and it will be noted byreference to Fig. 2 that such adjustment of the wheels to conform to the desired width oi track causes no change in the width of the superposed body of the carrier. The sides c c/ of the carrier are shown in Fig. 1 as provided near their upper edges with vertical elongated sockets 15 near their ends and with similar central sockets 16 to form bearings for the journals c12 of rolls c1, extended horizontally from one to the other side of the carrier, three of such rolls being shown in Fig. 1. Below the said rolls longitudinal ribs c4 are secured to the inner faces of the carrier sides to support a removable shelf c5. Below the ribs c4 the wall c is provided with a socket 17, (see dotted lines, Fig. 2,) and the opposite wall c has a vertical groove 18 therein below the central socket 16, said groove 18 increasing in depth from its upper to its lower end to receive one of the ournals of a roll c6. When the shelf c5 is withdrawn, the roll c can be removed or inserted. One of its journals is inserted in the socket 17, and its other journal is then dropped down along the groove 18 to the lower end of the latter, after which the shelf c5 is inserted. The side walls are elongated at each end near their lower edges to support web-guides, and herein each web-guide is shown as comprising two rolls g g, the latter Y permanently mounted in the extensions of the sides and the former having its journals g mounted in vertical slots c7 (see Fig. 1) and normally closed by caps' or downholds ce. The removability of the roll g facilitates the insertion of the end of the web of material to the guide.

First let it be supposed that a bolt or plicated bale of cloth or other web-like material and indicated at B2, Fig. 1, is spread upon the bottom cX of the carrier. The free end of the web is then led up and over the roll c and thence to the end of the carrier and through one of the pairs of guide-rolls g g', suchweb being marked wz. The shelf c4 is then inserted and a second bolt or bale, as B', is placed thereupon and the free end of the web is oarried up and over the central one of the three rolls 010 and then over one of the endmost of such rolls down between the other pair of guide-rolls. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the web from the body of material B is led through the left-hand deliveryguide, while the web from the body of material B2 is led through the right-hand guide. If the fabric isa faced fabric, the bolts will be so laid upon their supports on the carrier that the material will be face uppermost as the web is drawn from the main body. The apparatus is now in condition to lay the cloth. The free end of the web w is held in any suitable manner and the carrier is moved away therefrom in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, the full length of the run. By the term run,7 as herein used, l mean the length of the superposed layers of cloth or other weblike material being handled, and a double run is used to indicate the web laid by an outward and return movement of the carrier, while a single run denotes the portion laid by the travel of the carrier in only one direction. As a result of this movement of the carrier a single run of the web w will be laid, as shown at r, Fig. 3. The movement of the carrier is now reversed to form a fold of such web upon itself at rx, and such fold is held fast in any suitable manner, and the free end of the web w2 is laid upon such fold and held. The carrier is then moved in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, and as it moves away from the held fold rx the web w will be laid on top of the single run r, forming the double run r r (shown in Fig. 4) and superposing thereon a single run T10 of the web w?, as in Fig. 4. By reference to the drawings it will be observed that the single run r has been laid face uppermost and that the reversal of the carrier when making the fold rx reverses the web, as it were, so that the two layers of the double run r r will be faced. So, too, the superposed single run rw of the web w2 will have its face uppermost, and when such double and single runs have been completed the carrier is again reversed to form a fold rX in the web w2 and an overlying turn r2 of the web w. Such a condition is shown in Fig. 4, and the fold rX and overlying turn r2 are now held and the carrier moved away in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4. This completes the double run of the web wi", the two layers composing such run being faced, and simultaneously a single run of the web w is superposed. This operation is continued until either the bodies of material B B2 have been exhausted or until the desired number of superposed layers of material have been laid upon the table. By holding the free end of one web when the carrier is in its initial position and laying a single run of such web the requisite gain of one web over the other is effected, so that thereafter the material will be laid in alternating double runs. The method of laying the material, as herein described, consists, briey, therefore, in holding the free end of one of two adjacent bodies of web-like material and movin said Abodies away in unison a determine distance to draw off and lay a single run of the web so held, thereafter reciprocating said bodies in unison over the same course to lay the two webs in superposed alternating double runs and holding the runs alternately, as at opposite ends, during the movement of the two bodies of material away therefrom.

As will be more clearly understood hereinafter the term web is not restricted to a single thickness or plv\T of material, as the web may consist of one or more plies or thicknesses. A Great amount of material can be laid, as herembefore set forth, in a very short time and by one operative, who moves the carrier from one to the other end of the table and also sees to it that the end of the run lrolri whichthe carrier is moving is suitably The bodies of material are preferably laid on their supports on the carrier in such a way that a longitudinal edge of each web as it is drawn off will be guided by the inner IOO IIO

face of one of the upright sides of the carrier, so that each run'as it is laid will be superposed correctly and evenly upon the one below it, so that the several layers will have their longitudinal edges in substantially the same vertical plane.

A central one of the upper rolls 010 and the roll c act as fold-separators to prevent the drawing olf of the material unevenly from the bolts or bales, the web in each case being drawn upward'from the top of the bolt or bale at its center and thence passing over such roll. When the end of the web is to be inserted in the delivery-guide, the outer roll g is removed, the web drawn down over the roll g', and said roll g returned to its place.

Any suitable device may be used for holding down the end of the run or web, and herein l have shown a simple arrangement, which l have found to be very effective. Brackets d, secured to the opposite edges of the table A by clamp-screws d, are each provided with an upturned finger (ZX, extended above the top of the table. By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the uprights (ZX are located within the paths of travel of the hangers 5 and are far enough apart to permit the web of material to be laid llat upon the table between them. By so locatingthe uprights (ZX the carrier can be moved far enough beyond them to lay the web from either end of the carrier, as may be necessary, and to enable the fold in the web to be made on a line adjacent said uprights. Such arrangement of the uprights (ZX also enables me to guide the longitudinal edge of each web as it is laid by the inner face of one of the upright sides of the carrier, as hereinbefore referred to. Just before the carrier is reversed to'form the fold the holding-bar 'd2 is laid upon the face of the laid web behind the standards, and then the carrier is moved in the reverse direction, thereby making the fold around such bar, as is shown in Fig. 3, and the opposite end of the web w2 is temporarily held upon the fold in any'suitable manner, as by a weight placed thereon. When the c arrier has completed its movement to the left7 viewing Fig. 3, another of the bars de is placed across the three layers of material at the lefthand end of the table, as shown in Fig. 4, said bar being held in position by the pair of uprights (ZX at that end of the table, and then the carrier is moved to the right, so that the Yfold rX and the turn TEX will be made over the bar. When the carrier reaches the opposite or right-hand end of the table, the operative removes the bar d2 and places it across the topmost layer, positioning it against the uprights, and then proceeds as beforeI described.

lf the cloth of other material to be laid comes in rolled form, it may be laid in accordance with my invention with great facility.

My invention is not restricted to the precise form of apparatus shown as l have only shown one convenient and efficient form of apparatus for practicing my invention.

Various changes or modifications may be made in the different details of the apparatus according to the circumstances and without departing in any way from the spirit and scope of my invention.

While I have shown a track composed of two rails, one at each side of the table, it will be manifest that as the office of the track is merely to guide the carrier in its reciprocations longitudinally of the support or table a single-rail track may be used quite as effectively, the wheels on one side of the carrier being grooved to travel on said rails, while the wheels at the other side of the carrier would travel directly upon the table.

Having fully described my invention7 what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The herein-described method. of laying webs of material in superposed layers so that all the layers will be folded face to face, which consists in holding the free end of one of two bodies of web-like material with the face up,

moving the bodies of material away simultaneously and drawing off and laying a single run of the held web face up, reversing the movement of said bodies and folding the first web upon itself face down upon the first-laid single run, holding the end of the second web upon the fold face up and simultaneously moving the bodies back to initial position to complete the double run of the first web while laying thereon a single run of the second web face up, reversing the movement of the bodies to fold the second web face to face upon itself, holding such fold and the overlying turn of the `lirst web and moving the bodies away to complete a double run of the second web and lay thereon a single run of the rst web.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. l

ALBERT O. MORSE.

Witnesses:

L. E. SHERWIN, Gno. M. HARLow.

IIC 

